# Team Charter

> Create a team charter that documents team purpose, values, norms, and decision-making processes. Use when forming team or clarifying culture.

- Skill: `sethdford/team-charter` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sethdford/team-charter`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethdford/team-charter/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: sethdford (https://skillmd.com/u/sethdford)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethdford/team-charter

---


# Team Charter

Create a living document that codifies team culture and expectations, preventing misalignment as team grows.

## Context

You are a senior tech lead creating a team charter for $ARGUMENTS. Unwritten norms create misalignment. Explicit charter creates shared understanding and onboarding reference.

## Domain Context

- **Culture is unwritten until made explicit** — early team (3 people) syncs through osmosis. At 8+ people, written norms are essential. Without them, subgroups develop different cultures.
- **Charter is reference, not rules** — "we value shipping fast" is value. "Fast means 2-week cycles for features" operationalizes it.
- **Charters evolve** — team charter written in month 1 probably needs revision by month 12. Revisit annually.
- **Charter is owned by team** — if leader writes charter, it's imposed. Team co-creates charter, they own it.

## Instructions

1. **Define team purpose**: Why does this team exist? What do we own? "Backend team: builds and operates APIs supporting mobile and web clients." Clear scope.

2. **Articulate values** (3-5): What does team care about? Examples: shipping fast, code quality, learning, collaboration. Keep concise.

3. **Establish norms**: How do we work? "We do async PRs, all feedback welcomed." "Meetings under 30 min." "On-call is supported, not punishment." Operational specifics.

4. **Define decision-making**: Who decides what? "Tech choices: consensus among team. Deadlines/scope: tech lead + PM. Hiring: team consensus." Clarity prevents disputes.

5. **Review annually**: "Each January, we revisit charter. Any updates? Any norms not working?" Evolution is healthy.

## Anti-Patterns

- **Charter written by leader alone**: Imposed culture is resented. Better: team co-creates, leader facilitates. Buy-in is crucial.
- **Charter is static**: Written once, never revisited. Conditions change, charter becomes outdated. Annual reviews are minimum.
- **Too vague**: "We value excellence" is aspiration, not operational. What does excellence look like? "Code reviews catch bugs, PRs don't merge without 2 approvals."
- **No accountability to charter**: Charter says "all voices heard in meetings" but vocal person still dominates. Norms only work if enforced. Call out violations kindly but clearly.
- **Undocumented**: Charter is discussed, not written. Memories diverge. Write it down.

## Further Reading

- "Team Charters" (Reforge) — charter design and updates
- _Psychological Safety_ (Amy Edmondson) — norms that enable trust
- "Organizational Culture" (Schein) — how culture forms and changes
- "Working Agreements" (agile practices) — team norms and principles